• ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...
• [Public Safety Notifications]
• [SEVERE WEATHER CHANNEL]
• You can now support Macon Media with a $1.99 monthly Facebook subscription at [LINK]
NWS GENERAL OUTLOOK
Snowfall totals have decreased slightly, but Warning-criteria totals of 2-4" are still forecast across much of the western half of the area, with 4-7" across the eastern half, and across much of the area along the NC/TN border.
.KEY MESSAGES...
1. Anomalously cold temperatures continue through this morning.
2. A significant winter weather event is expected to impact the region from Friday night through Saturday night, with snow expected to be the primary precipitation type. Due to cold temperatures leading up to the event, impacts to travel could be significant.
3. Dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills will impact the region Saturday night through Monday morning. This air mass will pose potential threat to life and property if precautions are not taken.
4. Temperatures gradually warm through early next week with a return to dry conditions across the region.
WEATHER SPONSOR
Macon Media Weather is being sponsored by the Committee to Elect Bob Cook.
It is time for new leadership in the Macon County Sheriff’s Office. I have the education and experience to successfully lead and represent the Office into the future. I will listen and respond to concerns of every citizen. I will ensure the employees have equal opportunities for promotion and transfer. Please trust me with your vote. If you have any questions, you can contact me at 828-371-4475, Facebook: Bob Cook for Sheriff. Early voting begins February 12, 2026, and the primary is March 3, 2026.
Paid for by the Committee to Elect Bob Cook Sheriff.
DAY SPONSOR
This space available
GENERAL FORECAST
(since this is a quick forecast intended to cover the whole county, bear in mind that higher elevations may experience cooler temperatures than this and the lower elevations may experience higher temperatures than those in the forecast)
..TODAY....Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
..THURSDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy. Cold with lows in the lower 20s. Northwest winds around 5 mph in the evening, becoming light and variable.
..FRIDAY....Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 30s. Southwest winds around 5 mph.
..FRIDAY NIGHT....Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow in the evening, then snow likely after midnight. Light snow accumulation possible. Cold with lows around 16. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of snow 70 percent.
..SATURDAY....Mostly cloudy. Snow likely, mainly in the morning. Additional moderate snow accumulation possible. Colder with highs in the lower 20s. Chance of snow 70 percent. Wind chill values as low as 5 below.
..SATURDAY NIGHT....Mostly cloudy in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Blustery, cold with lows zero to 5 above zero. Wind chill values as low as 15 below.
..SUNDAY....Sunny. Highs in the mid 20s. Wind chill values as low as 15 below in the morning.
..SUNDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. Cold with lows around 10 above. Wind chill values as low as zero.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...
* WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations between 4 and 7 inches east of I-26. Total accumulations between 2 and 4 inches across the remainder of the area. Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph.
* WHERE...Northeast Georgia, western North Carolina, and Upstate South Carolina.
* WHEN...From Friday afternoon through Sunday morning.
* IMPACTS...The heavy snow will make many roads impassable and may produce scattered power outages due to the weight of the snow on tree limbs and power lines. The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday evening commute. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snow is expected to rapidly stick to roads and other surfaces due to temperatures in the 20s. Travel conditions could deteriorate rapidly as early as Friday evening. Very gusty winds on Saturday could result in areas of blowing snow, causing very poor visibility.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.
NEWS UPDATES
(Links aggregated to show what various news outlets are reporting)
State and Local News
Immigration enforcement leader Gregory Bovino's ties to North Carolina | WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)
• Weather Warn Days: The latest on the next winter storm taking aim at Carolinas [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]
• NC lawmakers say court order limits their probe into fatal Charlotte stabbing [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• Foundational unease: Fontana library board struggles amid increasingly tense atmosphere [Smoky Mountain News]
• Registered nurses hold vigil for Alex Jeffrey Pretti at Pritchard Park [Mountain Xpress]
• UNC’s Belichick not elected first-ballot Hall of Famer, drawing outrage [Raleigh News and Observer]
• The Challenger disaster happened 40 years ago. One astronaut was from NC [Asheville Citizen-Times]
World News
The Wrap | Is Trump gearing up to attack Iran again? | Sky News
What will be the impact of the EU-India trade pact? | Inside Story | Al Jazeera
• What could happen if the US strikes Iran? Here are seven scenarios [BBC News]
• Budapest mayor charged over Pride parade [DW News]
• French far-right lawmaker sparks debate with proposal to reopen brothels [France 24]
Russo-Ukraine War
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 27, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
"Making money on war crimes:" Musk's Starlink linked to Russian strikes | TVP World
• Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1434: Ukraine’s drones destroy 820,000 targets [Euromaidan Press]
• Trump envoys won’t attend next Russia-Ukraine talks – Rubio [Russia Today (Russian State-Controlled News Outlet)]
• Senior diplomat sees NATO actually preparing for conflict with Russia [TASS (Russian State-Controlled News Outlet)]
National News
Growing Republican criticism of Trump officials' response to Alex Pretti shooting | CBS News
• News publishers limit Internet Archive access due to AI scraping concerns [Nieman Lab]
• 25 guidelines for journalists to safely cover unrest [Poynter]
• The latest: Alex Pretti involved in altercation with federal agents days before he was killed [Minnesota Star Tribune]
Judge says ICE has violated nearly 100 court orders this month | KARE-TV (Minneapolis, MN)
FBI raids election center near Atlanta | NBC News
• Justices to consider whether to weigh in on $5 million verdict against Trump at next conference [SCOTUSblog]
• ICE officers in Minnesota directed not to interact with 'agitators' in new orders: Report [Ground News]
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Alex Pretti: "I don't think it's honest to say he brandished a weapon." | C-SPAN
• GOP senators open to splitting off DHS funding to pass other key spending bills [The Hill]
• FBI raid in Georgia highlights Trump’s 2020 election obsession and hints at possible future actions [AP News]
• Video appears to show Alex Pretti spit at federal agents, violently damage SUV days before fatal CBP shooting [Fox News]
FOMC Press Conference, January 28, 2026 | Federal Reserve
• How the Fed's rate decision affects your bank accounts, loans, credit cards, and investments [Yahoo Finance]
• Fed holds key interest rate steady as economic view improves [CNBC]
Bloomberg Surveillance: The Fed Decides 1/28/2025 | Bloomberg Television
Secretary of State Marco Rubio Testifies on Venezuela | C-SPAN
Washington Today (1-28-26): No Fed interest rate change; Dems specify ICE reform demands to fund DHS | C-SPAN
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - January 28, 2026
PBS News Hour full episode, Jan. 28, 2025
Technology and Science News
Why We Might Never Reach Mars: The Microgravity Problem | Anton Petrov
clawdbot is a security nightmare | Low Level
• What the new nutrition guidelines get wrong about fat [ScienceNews]
• What is this Clawdbot, Err Moltbot, Everyone's Screaming About? [It's FOSS News]
• 40 years after the space shuttle Challenger disaster, spaceflight remains far from routine [Space.com]
• Amazon Laying Off 16,000 as It Increases ‘Ownership’ and Removes ‘Bureaucracy’ [Gizmodo]
• Meta blocks links to ICE List across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads [Ars Technica]
Crypto Currencies
Two Important Charts For Gold! | Ben Cowen
• Clawdbot Chaos: A Forced Rebrand, Crypto Scam and 24-Hour Meltdown [Decrypt]
• US senators to weigh CFTC, other amendments to crypto market structure bill [Coin Telegraph]
NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and ASN (Aviation Safety Network) Accident Investigation Pages
• Cirrus SR22T Crash [09/18/2025 - Franklin, NC]
• Crash of N259UP at Louisville-Muhammad Ali International Airport [Aviation Safety Network]
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Published at 6.00am on Thursday, January 29, 2025
Author: Bobby Coggins
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